Michael Abate

Mike is an experienced litigator who has practiced at all levels of the federal court system. Mike began his career in the U.S. Department of Justice handling the United States’ most sensitive constitutional, statutory, and administrative law cases. After nearly eight years at DOJ, he joined a large regional law firm in Louisville where he became partner and chair of the firm’s appellate practice group. Mike has briefed and argued cases for his clients all across the country, including in eleven different U.S. Courts of Appeals. He also has briefed numerous cases in the U.S. Supreme Court at both the certiorari and merits stages.
Mike concentrates his practice on healthcare, media, and appellate litigation. He regularly represents Medicare and Medicaid managed care organizations in disputes pending in state and federal courts across the country. He also represents media organizations in litigation over constitutional issues and access to public records. Mike also handles state and federal appeals on wide range of different issues.

Representative Matters

Served as national counsel for Medicare Advantage Organizations in numerous cases successfully asserting Medicare Secondary Payer rights in litigation against no-fault and liability insurers, tortfeasors, and other parties responsible for reimbursing conditional Medicare payments.

Represented Medicare managed care organizations in connection with a variety of payer-provider disputes and regulatory matters.

Represented health care payers and providers in connection with government investigations and allegations arising under the False Claims Act.

Successfully represented media clients in disputes arising under the Kentucky Open Records Act and Open Meetings Act, including obtaining an unprecedented fee and penalty award from a state agency following a multi-day bench trial.

Argued more than twenty cases in U.S. Courts of Appeals, including appearing before 11 different U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals.

Education & Clerkship

Law Clerk, Hon. Diana Gribbon Motz, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

Stanford Law School, JD, Order of the Coif (2005)

Harvard College, BA, magna cum laude (2000)

Honors & Awards

Louisville Business First Forty Under Forty (2016)

Director of National Intelligence Award (2012)

US Department of Justice, Special Commendation (Immigration Preemption Litigation) (2012)

Attorney General’s Award for Furthering the Interest of National Security (2010)